Inside Ashley Ellis' Dance Bag

(Photo by Liza Voll)

Boston Ballet principal Ashley Ellis has a crafty side. When she started making herself legwarmers a few years ago, her colleagues took notice and started asking her to make some for them, too. “I started creating a design and realized I wanted to do it more professionally,” says Ellis, who officially launched her legwarmer website, RubiaWear.com, a year and a half ago. “I have a little following now,” she says. “I post my designs on Instagram, which is mostly how I’ve gotten the word out.”

One of the perks of being a designer, of course, is that she can pack her dance bag with fun assortments of legwarmers. “I always have different options with me to wear,” she says. Ellis also keeps a collection of homemade skirts on hand, as well as an extra sweater. And while she fits all of her essentials in a Betsey Johnson shoulder bag at the studio, she’s more innovative at the theater. “I recently bought a small pink backpack to use backstage,” she says. “It’s great for when I’m wearing tutus, since it hangs a little higher.”